


Cracking Under Pressure

by DarkAngelBK201



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure tri.
Genre: Anger, Angst, Gen, Possible Spoilers, Resentment, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 01:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11048883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelBK201/pseuds/DarkAngelBK201
Summary: “Look at you! Look at those goggles…You threw us away like we didn’t even matter! Is that all we ever meant to you?!”Symbiosis AU based on the leaks on the interwebs.





	Cracking Under Pressure

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a continuation of a fic written by Icelandicc (or as I call her, soofi) called Equivalent Exchange. This fic probably won't make sense on its own, so I would recommend you all go read her amazing fic!
> 
> Art cred: Icelandicc
> 
> Spoilers for movies 1-4 of tri and POSSIBLE spoilers for 5 depending on how accurate the leaks are. Read at your own risk.

A sickening feeling was lodged deep in Taichi’s stomach, his grip tightening around Takeru’s shoulder. Shaking his head, he tugged, harshly, maybe a little too harshly, on Takeru. “Come on!” he all but yelled, hauling the boy with him as he turned and began to run. “We can’t do this here! We have to go! Let’s go, Takeru!” He didn’t look back; he didn’t want to see the pain and guilt that washed across Takeru’s face. Deep in his heart, he knew that Iori was a lost cause…and he knew even deeper down who the blame truly rested with.

And it wasn’t Takeru.

(A bright smile, the flash of googles, a bubbly laugh that rang in his ears… Oh god…where did he go…? How did he let this happen…?)

And so they ran, the ground rumbling and shaking beneath their feet as the ice dislodged from the fight rolled from the cliff edges and shattered upon impact with the earth. Takeru followed him and Taichi thanked his lucky stars for that. Yamato would murder him for leaving his little brother behind. The sizzle of data behind him unnerved him, but he didn’t dare turn back, instead pressing on as if nothing was wrong. Nothing could be wrong.

If something was wrong, everything would fall apart. And it would be all his fault.

Not like this would be the first time things fell apart because of him.

Sora stumbled into their path, her face white and stricken with fear. He slowed, watching her head shake, tears cascading down too pale cheeks. “T-the distortion…It…it just vanished… We…we’re trapped… There’s nowhere to go…” she stammered, her voice cracked and stumbling over itself as she spoke too fast for her lips to keep up. Taichi’s eyes widened, his grip tightening around Koromon, slumped over in his arms.

That sickening feeling churned faster, his heartbeat pounding faster in his ears. But he slammed it down, swallowing harshly and pulling himself up tall. He nodded, his lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line. Brown eyes scanned across the maze of ice, squinting at the dulled reflection of the moonlight on the jagged cliff face. He followed the line, tracing each divot, each minor crack, until falling on a shadowed depression not too far away. He nodded towards it, changing direction without even considering other options. “There,” he ordered, his hand moving to clasp around Takeru’s wrist to guide him. The boy’s hand was limp, his skin heated. “We’ll regroup there.”

He could only hope the others followed as he changed direction, praying that the others remained safe.

They staggered ungracefully into the cave as the entire cliff shook, small rocks cascading from above, dislodged from the force of shaking. He tugged Takeru inside with him before releasing him, ignoring the dulled reflection of his eyes, the way he just stood there staring blankly ahead. Taichi swore he imagined the red crackle of data that sparked around his form.

He couldn’t afford to lose it. Not now.

Not long after they entered, the others joined them, battered, worn, and thoroughly defeated. Taichi glanced over them, his heart heavy when he noticed Mimi and Jyou still hadn’t joined them, were still missing in their efforts to reclaim Meiko. His hand curled into a fist, ignoring the burn of tears that rose suddenly to his eyes. Yamato stood by Takeru, his hands fluttering over the boy as he tried to get a reaction. His heart pounded in his chest, his lungs constricted by what felt like an iron cage. When had everything gone so wrong…? How had things taken such a drastic turn?

“So…Taichi- _senpai_ …I thought I might find you here…” a gruff voice cut through the darkness, as foreign as it was familiar. The disdain dripping from the honorific sent chills down Taichi’s spine, his eyes widening slowly. He turned, his body feeling like lead, towards the person who spoke.

And there he was.

Daisuke leaned up against the cave wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed, a deep scowl carving across a face painted with both bruises and blood alike. Strands of auburn hair spilled over his face, far longer and disheveled than Taichi could ever remember it being. Goggles… _his goggles_ …sat atop his head, reflecting whatever light was spilling in from the entrance of the cave. As Daisuke turned his head, Taichi felt sick at the crack that spread like a spiderweb across one of the lenses.

“Daisuke…” he could only breathe, stepping forward on numbed legs. Daisuke snorted, his eyes opening. A molten gold glared back at him, something dark and dangerous flickering behind the rage glowing hot in those eyes.

“Is that really all you can say, Taichi? We’ve been missing for how long and all you can manage to say is my name?” Daisuke snarled. The dropped honorific made Taichi flinch. Suddenly he longed for the boy he remembered, who looked up to him with a bright smile and chirped his name. Daisuke started forward, his arms dropping to his sides until he stood before Taichi. “Do you have any idea what we’ve been through…? What I’ve had to pull _my_ team through because you couldn’t be bothered to get off your ass to try to help us?”

Taichi could only stare, his hands trembling. “I…I…Daisuke…” Daisuke snarled, his hands flying out to grasp Taichi’s wrists. He slammed Taichi back against the wall, his teeth bared as he glowered up at him. Taichi winced, his wrists throbbing in protest. He studied the boy in front of him, that longing for the past growing as he saw how Daisuke had grown, how time had defined the edges of his jaw, how his shoulders had broadened. How his eyes had remained the same, open and honest, even now, when lined with tears that threatened to spill down his hollow and scraped cheeks.

“Is that really all you can say? You abandoned us, Taichi! You abandoned all of us! You promised me that you would help me, help us, when we needed it and you _weren’t there_! You left us to rot in this world!” His voice rose to a roar, roughened by anger…and desperation? Taichi’s gaze softened, his arms going limp in Daisuke’s grasp. The first of the tears began to spill down Daisuke’s cheeks, mingling with and diluting the blood that clung to his skin. His lips trembled now when he spoke. “You…you abandoned us. Left us all alone to fend off something we were no match against. We…we couldn’t stop it…And because of that… I…I had to watch as…as everyone…” He trailed off, tears spilling from his eyes in earnest.

Taichi saw it, what Daisuke meant. That red spark of data that crackled at the end of Daisuke’s fingertips, trailed down his body in a wave, alternating a rainbow of colors as it swept through.

“Daisuke…you…you…” Without finishing his sentence, he yanked his hands out of Daisuke’s grip and pulled the boy into a hug, pressing his head into his shoulder. His grip tight, his own eyes squeeze shut as he released a shaking breath. “I’m sorry…” he whispered, feeling Daisuke stiffen in his arms. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

A fist glanced off his cheek, sending Taichi sprawling to the ground. He just laid there, a shaking hand moving slowly to brush against his cheek. Looking up, he stared at Daisuke, blood seeping from the corner of his lips. Brown eyes were dark and resigned, watching Daisuke snarl down at him, his body shaking violently. A haze of purple rose from Daisuke’s tense form, pulsing and snapping with his fury. His data fizzled in and out

“Sorry isn’t good enough, Taichi! Not…not after this… Not…after everything that we’ve had to go through because of you… Look at you! Look at those goggles…You threw us away like we didn’t even matter! Is that all we ever meant to you?!” He paused for a moment, breathing heavily, before drawing himself upright. “I don’t know why I ever looked up to you.” Daisuke, his fist still raised, moved to punch Taichi again, only to stop at the commotion by the entrance to the cave.

Jyou limped into the cave, dragging a semiconscious Mimi with him. Blood dripped from Jyou’s temple, his glasses skewed on his face. He breathed heavily, his body swaying woozily. Mimi was draped against his side, bruises littering her skin even as blood dribbled from between her lips. Her hair clung to her damp face, the brown hair saturated with scarlet blood. Sora ran up to assist Mimi, Koushiro sprinting to brace Jyou before he fell. Yamato still fretted near Takeru, who still stared ahead with deadened eyes, seeing everything, but nothing at all. Patamon lay silent in his arms, his eyes bleached white even as his data sizzled.

Taichi couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

Was this all that was going to become of them? Were they all destined to die here, caged like animals desperate for escape?

His eyes slid up to Daisuke, only to find him gone, vanished as if Taichi had just imagined him. But no… His cheek still throbbed, already beginning to swell.

He sighed softly and laid his head back down, his eyes squeezing shut.

He didn’t know what to do anymore…


End file.
